Shloka 36

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

अयं चास्य महाबाहुर् बलभद्रो ऽग्रजो ऽग्रतः प्रयाति लीलया योषिन्मनोनयननन्दनः

Transliteration

ayaṃ cāsya mahābāhur balabhadro 'grajo 'grataḥ prayāti līlayā yoṣinmanonayananandanaḥ

Translation

And behold—before Him goes His elder brother Balabhadra, mighty-armed, moving ahead in effortless līlā, a delight to the eyes and hearts of women.

Word by Word

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• अस्य: of him / his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महाबाहुः: mighty-armed
• महाबाहुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• बलभद्रः: Balabhadra (Balarāma)
• बलभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिवाचक (proper noun)

• अग्रजः: elder brother
• अग्रजः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्रज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front / ahead
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• प्रयाति: goes forth / proceeds
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लीलया: playfully / in sport
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial instrumental)

• योषित्-मनः-नयन-नन्दनः: delighter of women’s minds and eyes
• योषित्-मनः-नयन-नन्दनः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् (प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + नयन (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'योषितां मनोनयनयोः नन्दनः'

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revelatory

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He manifests on earth to enact līlā with Balarāma and to begin the visible restoration of dharma by lightening the world’s burden.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Re-establishing auspiciousness and righteous order through the Lord’s presence and līlā among humans.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s seemingly human movement and beauty are not mere display but līlā through which His sovereignty becomes perceptible to the world.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Contemplate daily events as occasions to remember the Lord’s presence and respond with reverent attention rather than mere sense-enjoyment.

Vishishtadvaita: The transcendent Lord becomes accessible through embodied līlā without ceasing to be supreme.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Madhurya

Characters & Entities

• Balabhadra (Balarama)
• Krishna

FAQs

What is the significance of līlā (divine play) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse frames Balabhadra’s majestic movement as līlā—actions that appear worldly yet reveal the effortless sovereignty of the avatāra and the maintenance of dharma without strain.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Balabhadra’s role alongside Krishna here?

Parāśara presents Balabhadra as Krishna’s elder brother who goes before Him, highlighting both protective leadership and the shared divine presence of the Yadava avatāras in public life.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu (as Krishna) in this context?

Krishna’s supremacy is implied through the ordered, auspicious scene: even the admired Balabhadra is described in relation to Him, and their līlā communicates divine rulership operating within human society.